Fontana City Council
October 13, 2026

PROPOS AL
PL 26-175-SP
General Plan Housing Element Update
April 30, 2026

SUBMITTED TO SUBMITTED BY
ATTACHMENT NO.1
April 30, 2026
We Make A Difference
City of Fontana
Attn: Elia Alvarez, Purchasing Office
16860 Valencia Avenue
Fontana, CA 92335
Dear Selection Committee:

Michael Baker International, Inc. (Michael Baker) appreciates the opportunity to provide a proposal for development of the 7 th Cycle Housing Element Update for the City of Fontana. We possess a comprehensive understanding of the latest HCD update requirements and is widely recognized for our strong expertise in housing and community planning services. The proposing team has worked with over 20 cities on their 6th Cycle Housing Elements as well as one city on its 7 th Cycle Housing
Element so far, including 8 cities in San Bernardino County, and has a unique understanding of the housing needs of San Bernardino County. Our dedicated local Ontario office has collaborated with the City for more than three decades, providing an established track record of successful project delivery. This longstanding partnership, combined with our extensive resources and in-depth knowledge of HCD’s rigorous standards, firmly positions us to support the City in developing a compliant and forward-thinking Housing Element that will not only secure certification but also promote sustainable growth.

W E A R E R E A D Y A N D A V A I L A B L E T O S E R V E Y O U We have provided a detailed scope and budget. As the HCD adjusts requirements for the next cycle, we will gladly tailor our proposal to meet the City’s anticipated need. The Project Manager for this contract is Hannah Kreitman, AICP. Ms. Kreitman has guided over 20 cities in achieving compliant Housing Elements, including Grand Terrace, Colton, Hesperia, Redlands, Upland, Madera, Modesto, and Los Altos Hills. She can be reached at her direct line at (805) 341-3595, or via email at [email protected]. She is supported by Alicia Gonzalez, who will serve as the Principal-in-Charge. With years of experience working in San Bernardino County and with the City of Fontana, Ms. Gonzalez is skilled at supervising local program development and CEQA strategy.

Veronica Tam & Associates (VTA) are a valued member of our project team, serving as both Strategic Advisors and Housing Specialists. Led by Ms. Tam, VTA brings an impressive track record, having successfully completed over 100 Housing Elements, including over 80 in the 6th Cycle alone. With their extensive experience and deep familiarity with evolving state housing requirements, Ms. Tam and her team will leverage their working relationship with the state to seek opportunities for mid-review technical support. Our team combined with VTA creates a powerhouse of knowledge of proven housing strategies and programs throughout the region.

We are confident the Michael Baker team will add value due to our local housing knowledge, intimate knowledge of HCD processes, and proven Housing Element strategy. If you have any questions while reviewing our proposal, please contact Ms. Kreitman directly for clarification or additional information.

Sincerely,
Hannah R Kreitman, AICP Alicia Gonzalez
Project Manager / Senior Planner Project Principal / Associate Vice President Re: General Plan Housing Element Update
PL-26-175-SP

HCD WORKING

RELATIONSHIP
We will streamline the process by
integrating the most up-to-date
knowledge from our working
relationship with HCD, understanding
of recent changes to state law, and
connections to key decision makers.

PROVEN, RELIABLE TEAM
The key members of this team have
worked together on 20+ Housing
Elements over the last 5 years. We will
use our proven methodology to
achieve HCD compliance and set the
City up for success in meeting and
maintaining RHNA requirements
through compliance and program
implementation.

SAN BERNARDINO

COUNTY SPECIALISTS
This proposing team has worked with
22 cities on their Housing Elements in
the 6th Cycle and 7th Cycles, including 8
cities in San Bernardino County. We
have the depth of experience, and
unique knowledge of regional
housing needs, to get the City through
the complicated process.

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
A. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................................4 B. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE....................................................................................................................................5 C. STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING AND APPROACH ........................................................................................................20 D. WORK SCHEDULE..............................................................................................................................................................23 E. REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................................................24 APPENDIX – SCOPE OF SERVICES...............................................................................................................................................26 F. COSTS ......................................................................................................................................(Submitted via separate file)

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE INTRODUCTION

A.INTRODUCTION

1. Offering Firm
Michael Baker International
3536 Concours, Suite 100
Ontario, CA 91764
Office (909) 974-4900, Fax (909) 974-4004
Direct Line (805) 341-3595
[email protected]

2. Contact Person
Hannah R Kreitman, AICP
Project Manager, Planner
(805) 341-3595
[email protected]

3. Subconsultant
Veronica Tam & Associates
122 E. Foothill Blvd. Ste A #332
Arcadia, CA 91006
(626) 818-9488
[email protected]

4. Statements
This proposal is signed by an authorized official with the authority to bind the firm.

This proposal is valid for ninety (90) days from date of submittal.

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

B.QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Firm Profile
Founded in 1940, Michael Baker has a
professional staff of more than 6,000
employees in 120 offices nationwide. Our
California presence includes 10 offices staffed
by 580+ employees. Services for the City will be
managed from our Ontario and San Diego
offices.

Our full suite of in-house services enables the
Michael Baker team to successfully manage any
community planning project. Our greatest
differentiator is our employees, who
demonstrate the ability to solve complex
problems. That is why we engage our people,
educate and train them, develop their careers,
and invest in their futures, expanding their skills
and expertise. Our adaptive approach to integrating innovation and collaboration leads to the best solutions for our clients.

We attribute our success to our focus on understanding and meeting our clients’ needs most efficiently and creatively.

Michael Baker provides a one-stop-shop for all possible Housing Element and Housing Capacity Analysis needs, including inhouse comprehensive land development, civil engineering, infrastructure, and economic feasibility and fiscal impact services.

Michael Baker is recognized for our strong focus on housing and community planning services. We have prepared over 100 Housing Elements, including more than 20 Housing Elements for the 6th Cycle for municipalities throughout California. Our core Housing Element team has consisted of the same six team members who have worked closely together on these more than 20 Housing Elements over the past five years.

Our team of housing, land use, and CEQA specialists have honed our work together to prepare high quality, defensible, and implementable plans that are responsive to our client’s needs. Our team is extremely stable, and exhibits highly skilled project management, excellent teamwork, and robust quality control via internal peer review. Our team consistently meets very tough project deadlines and earns the trust, respect, and appreciation of our clients. All of our Housing Elements have been approved by HCD. All have been completed on time and within budget.

Subconsultant: Veronica Tam and Associates
Michael Baker is proud of the work we have done as part of our strategic partnership with VTA during the 6th Cycle and beyond. The Michael Baker Housing Element team has a proven track record of success and is an industry leader in the preparation of Housing Elements. Adding our good friends and trusted partners at VTA increases the capacity of our team to further expedite Housing Element preparation and shorten the approval period. As discussed in the understanding section, achieving substantial compliance as quickly as possible has several important advantages, minimizes risks and disadvantages for the City, and sets the City up for success in the 7th Cycle implementation period.

VTA is located in Monrovia and is well known by HCD and throughout the state as a leader in Housing Element preparation and the navigation of state housing laws and Housing Element requirements. Veronica Tam shares her wealth of knowledge from preparing more than 120 Housing Elements, including over 80 in the 6th Cycle, and has maintained a perfect record of receiving state certification. VTA will provide strategic, peer and technical review, assistance drafting Housing Element chapters, and recommendations throughout the update process.

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Project Team
Michael Baker is one of the foremost firms in the state with achieving Housing Element compliance in for multiple
clients throughout California. When the fair housing
requirement was added in the 6th Cycle, HCD used our first Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) chapters as a model for training HCD Housing Element reviewers on what to look for in other Housing Elements. Over the last two decades, the core of Michael Baker’s success has been
staffing and organizing project delivery teams tailored to the specific needs of the project at hand and delivering on our commitments. An organizational chart of the key staff is represented below.

This team provides critical guidance and management of
housing programs. The Michael Baker housing team is not just a policy advisor. The team develops and implements the most important Housing Element update programs and
brings real value to our clients.

For example, our team helped bring over $1.2 million in REAP 2.0 grant funds to our San Bernardino County clients to implement their 6th Cycle Housing Element programs.

These included Rezoning, Objective Design Standards, PreApproved ADU Plans, a Bonus ADU program, a Subdivision Ordinance, and a Pro-housing certification. Our
understanding of and close working relationships with our clients enabled us to more than double the budget for our clients.

Our project team offers an extensive array of services
associated with housing and environmental compliance
with the benefit of in-house specialists for technical
evaluation and seasoned California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) practitioners. We provide local, committed, and qualified personnel with the requisite expertise, experience, and knowledge to successfully deliver this project for the City.

This consistent, highly successful team will be led by an extremely efficient, effective, and communicative project manager, Hannah R Kreitman. She is an experienced go-to housing specialist, who consistently earns the trust and respect of her clients through her deep knowledge of
housing law and well-honed approach to site selection, with a passion for fair housing. Her project resume includes work on over 20 6th and 7th Cycle Housing Elements and several Housing Element implementation programs. Ms. Kreitman
will be supported by veteran community planner and group manager, Dan Wery, who will serve as the overall Program and Quality Assurance and Quality Control Manager. Mr.

Wery has successfully managed many large and complex
projects for over 20 years, built the housing team, and supervised the preparation of over 20 6th and 7th Cycle Housing Elements, and many zoning objective design
standards, and other policy, regulatory documents, and
implementation plans.

Organization Chart

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Key Project Team Qualifications Matrix
Name
Role
Years
of Exp Qualifications
Management Team Members
Hannah R Kreitman, AICP
Project Manager
6 Ms. Kreitman specializes in long-range community planning. Her year as a Housing Element intern for a nonprofit ignited a passion for housing policy, leading to five years of full-time experience working with Housing Elements, zoning, design, and mapping. She excels in spatial analysis and interpretation of data to support site selection and fair housing analysis.

Past projects include managing, supporting, or providing technical assistance for over 20 Housing Element updates, outreach and facilitation, zoning ordinance updates, and objective design standards.

Alicia Gonzalez
Project Principal
12 In addition to serving as Temecula, Ontario, Palm Desert Planning and Environmental Department Manager, Ms. Gonzalez has prepared and managed dozens of Housing Element-related CEQA documents as well as multiple CEQA projects within the City of Fontana. She serves as contract manager for Michael Baker’s On-Call Environmental & Planning Contract with the City of Fontana.

Dan Wery, AICP, LEED AP
Program and QA / QC Manager
39 Mr. Wery built and manages the housing and community planning group in the San Diego office and will serve as the overall program and QA/QC manager. He is a veteran program and project manager for all types of planning and development projects of all sizes and complexities. He is an expert in policy and ordinance development, urban design, and comprehensive planning and environmental on-call services, and has reviewed and entitled hundreds of development applications. He has prepared multiple comprehensive zoning code updates, General Plans, specific plans, corridor studies, Housing Elements, and many special projects for dozens of municipalities. A great resource and wealth of knowledge and experience, if you’ve got a planning issue or challenge, Dan already has or will quickly provide the answer.

Key Supporting Team Members
Shannon Liska, AICP
Housing Specialist/Analyst
6 Ms. Liska is a long-range planner with a specialty in Housing Elements and California Housing law. Passionate about housing, she has managed, supported, or provided technical assistance on over 20 6th and 7th Cycle Housing Elements. She uses creative solutions to help jurisdictions develop RHNA sites inventories to meet their RHNA. Additionally, she leverages existing City efforts and programs into effective implementable Housing Element programs to meet both the City’s needs and HCD’s review. Ms. Liska also leads Housing Element implementation projects including zoning ordinance amendments, ensuring state law compliance, and ADU bonus programs and ordinances.

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Name
Role
Years
of Exp Qualifications
Cameron Savois, LEED GA
Housing Specialists/Analyst
10 A key member of our housing team, Mr. Savois has been part of the core Housing Element team for over four years. He provides critical internal peer review as part of the housing team, in addition to a holistic perspective of urban designer and active transportation planner. His insights often contribute to Housing Element implementability and program development.

Mr. Savois leads and supports a variety of design, transportation and community development projects, including preparation of active transportation plans, safe routes to school plans, design guidelines, conceptual site plans and GIS services.

Haley Walker
CEQA
3 Ms. Walker has provided CEQA services to a variety of projects, including preparation of categorical exemption reports, initial studies, environmental impact reports (EIR), and CEQA addendums. Ms. Walker has provided CEQA support to a number of housing projects in San Bernardino County and will utilize this regional understanding to assist in the development of the CEQA strategy for this Housing Element.

Elizabeth Meyerhoff
CEQA
20 Ms. Meyerhoff brings 20 years of experience as an environmental planner with extensive working knowledge of California’s complex environmental regulations. She has provided CEQA support to many projects in the City of Fontana and across San Bernardino County, giving her a wealth of knowledge of local environmental conditions. Ms. Meyerhoff will utilize this regional understanding to lead the development of the CEQA strategy for this Housing Element.

Veronica Tam, AICP
Veronica Tam & Associates (VTA) –
Subconsultant
25 Ms. Tam is the founder and principal of Veronica Tam & Associates. Highly effective and fun, VTA has prepared more Housing Elements and obtained more HCD certifications than any other firm over the last 25 years, and has an example and well-reasoned recommendation for nearly every issue and circumstance regarding housing policy development and community development planning.

Lori Parrington
VTA
12 Ms. Parrington has over 12 years of planning experience in the public and private sectors. Her housing experience includes Housing Elements, zoning code updates, special studies, Specific Plan preparation and environmental review. At VTA, Ms. Parrington contributes to a variety of housing studies as well as environmental clearance requirements for housing-related projects.

Jamie Power
VTA
6 Ms. Power joined VTA in 2020 and has been assisting with the preparation of various housing studies. Ms. Power is well versed in using Census and CHAS datasets for housing and demographic analysis. As a planner, she contributes to the preparation of a variety of housing studies and reports.

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Experience Providing Similar Services
Michael Baker has exemplary experience providing the precise services required for the preparation of Fontana’s 7th Cycle Housing Element update. This includes an intimate working knowledge of Fontana projects, plans, and procedures with over 20 projects directly for the City of Fontana and more than 20 additional projects in Fontana, as well as preparation and HCD certification of over 20 6
th and 7th Cycle Housing Element updates, including eight for jurisdictions in the County of San Bernardino.

Housing Element Experience and Similar
Services: Our team has prepared and supported
HCD approval of over 20 6th Cycle Housing
Elements. Eight of those were in San
Bernardino County, giving us unique
knowledge, experience, and insight into the
housing needs in the region—such as
understanding the need for specific outreach to
communities with special housing needs,
including Spanish translated outreach, and for
more housing opportunities without causing
conditions of displacement for generational
community members. This same team has also
been busy actively implementing many
important and complicated Housing Element
programs, including new zoning, rezoning,
objective design standards, fiscal impact and
feasibility analyses, and fee studies. We worked
closely and creatively with our San Bernardino
Housing Element update clients and
SBCTA/COG to bring them more than $1.2
million in REAP 2.0 grant funds to help
implement their Housing Element programs.

Using our close working relationships and deep
understanding of needs, we more than doubled
the budget allocation to our clients. This
significant grant was used to prepare Housing Element Rezoning, Objective Design Standards, Pre-Approved ADU plans, a Bonus ADU program, a Subdivision Ordinance, and a Pro-Housing Certification.

Housing Element support has ranged from full-service drafts, outreach plans, and adoption to acute technical assistance and peer review. We consistently receive letters of substantial compliance from HCD swiftly and with minimal rounds of review. We are well-versed in Housing Element law, requirements, and how to navigate the HCD review process.

Our knowledge and technical skill set, required to develop a comprehensive inventory of available and suitable sites for a variety of housing types to satisfy RHNA requirements, has been extensively refined through the 6th Housing Element Cycle.

We have developed and refined a robust methodology and technical model to identify, evaluate, prioritize, and document the features of each site. This Housing Capacity Analysis will use these same skills but will focus on identifying sites and consideration of building trends, state laws, and site-specific features.

Figure 1: Michael Baker 6
th and 7th Cycle
Housing Element Successes

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Recent Housing Elements prepared by the Michael Baker International team:

Agency Project Name
San Bernardino County Jurisdictions
City of Big Bear Lake 6th Cycle Housing Element Support City of Chino Hills 6th Cycle Housing Element Support
City of Colton 6th Cycle Housing Element, Specific Plan Update City of Grand Terrace 6th Cycle Housing Element, Safety Element, Rezone, Objective Design Standards City of Hesperia 6th Cycle Housing Element
City of Needles 6th Cycle Housing Element
City of Redlands* 6th Cycle Housing Element
City of Upland 6th Cycle Housing Element, Rezone Support Other Jurisdictions
City of Escondido* 6th Cycle Housing Element
City of Foster City 6th Cycle Housing Element Support
City of Gilroy 6th Cycle Housing Element
City of Lakewood 6th Cycle Housing Element
Town of Los Altos Hills 6th Cycle Housing Element, Rezone, Objective Design Standards City of Madera 6th Cycle Housing Element
City of Modesto 6th Cycle Housing Element
City of Norwalk* 6th Cycle Housing Element Fair Housing Support City of Pinole 6th Cycle Housing Element, Safety Element County of San Diego* 6th Cycle Housing Element Update
City of San Juan Capistrano* 6th Cycle Housing Element & Environmental Justice Elements City of Seal Beach 6th Cycle Housing Element Response to HCD Comments City of Sonora 7th Cycle Housing Element
City of Tracy* 6th Cycle Housing Element
* Projects performed with VTA
Experience Working with the City of Fontana: Michael Baker has worked with the City on over 20 projects directly for the City of Fontana, including 7 since 2020, providing project review and recommendations to bring a wide range of projects to completion on time and within budget, including large to small private developments where cost and time were of the essence. Our team understands the City development approval process through our existing Environmental and Planning contract and will look to reduce the time and cost burden for private projects wherever feasible when preparing technical study and CEQA documentation, as well as for recommendations for project timing, redesign, and avoidance/minimization measures.

The following are a few recent examples of Michael Baker International projects for the City of Fontana.

Project Description
Fontana Parking
Structure
Michael Baker prepared a Class 32 Categorical Exemption for the City’s proposed downtown parking structure. Technical studies related to air quality and greenhouse gas emissions were prepared by the Michael Baker team to substantiate the Class 32 Categorical Exemption. This project has been successfully constructed.

Monte Vista
Homes Master
Case No. 20-073
Michael Baker prepared an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) and supporting technical studies for Monte Vista Homes’ Master Case No. 20-073 Project in Fontana. The project consists of land use and zoning changes, a tentative tract map, and design review for the construction of 53 single-family dwellings on 9.2 acres. In addition to the IS/MND, Michael Baker prepared technical studies related to air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, biological resources, cultural resources, and noise.

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Project Description
Mountain View
Villas Tentative
Tract Map
Michael Baker is preparing the CEQA compliance document and supporting cultural resource evaluation for Master Case No. 25-0081, Design Review No. 25-0037, and Tentative Tract Map No. 25-0008. The project would develop approximately 108 units on an approximately 6.7-acre site located at 17218 Baseline Avenue, in Fontana. The multifamily development is located within the Walnut Village Specific Plan. This project has been successfully constructed.

Foothills
Commerce Center
Michael Baker prepared an EIR for the Foothills Commerce Center. The project proposed the development of a 754,408-square-foot facility consisting of two warehouse and distribution buildings. The project also consisted of General Plan Amendments, Specific Plan Amendments, Zone Changes, Tentative Parcel and Tract Map approvals, Conditional Use Permit and Design Review.

This project has been successfully constructed.

I-15 Logistics
Center
Michael Baker prepared an EIR and related technical studies for the I-15 Logistics Center Project.

The proposed project includes the development and operation of a 1,175,720-square-foot logistics facility on approximately 76 acres; the realignment of a segment of Lytle Creek Road; the annexation of 152 acres; and related entitlements. In addition to the EIR, Michael Baker prepared the project’s air quality, greenhouse gas, noise, and health risk assessments, traffic impact study, delineation of state and federal jurisdictional waters, habitat assessment, California gnatcatcher surveys, San Bernardino kangaroo rat surveys, and rare plant survey report. This project has been successfully constructed.

San Sevaine Trail
Project, Segment 2
Michael Baker evaluated the potential environmental impacts of the proposed expansion of Segment 2 of the existing Class I San Sevaine Trail. The project added a new 1.25-mile trail segment within the Cities of Fontana and Rancho Cucamonga. The project involved converting an existing maintenance road, which currently runs parallel to the Etiwanda flood control channel, into a section of trail, and filling the gaps in the new linear path. This project has been successfully constructed.

West Valley
Logistics Center
Michael Baker prepared an EIR for the West Valley Logistics Center Specific Plan located in southeast Fontana. The proposed West Valley Logistics Specific Plan consists of approximately 145 net acres of industrial use and approximately 153 acres of open space. Infrastructure improvements are also proposed as part of the project, including street, water, sewer, and storm drainage improvements. Major environmental issues addressed in the EIR include air quality, noise, traffic, aesthetics, biological resources, geological resources, hydrology and water quality, and public services and utilities. This project has been successfully constructed.

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

PROJECT MANAGER
Hannah R Kreitman, AICP
Ms. Kreitman has experience in supporting housing, zoning, and design projects including policy, preparation of Housing Elements, new zones, objective design standards, and GIS services. She is an effective communicator and experienced researcher. Past projects include managing, supporting, or providing technical assistance over 20 Housing Element updates, outreach and facilitation, zoning ordinance updates, and objective design standards.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
▪ Housing Element updates, over 20 jurisdictions, 8 in San Bernardino County ▪ Housing Element Rezone and Objective Design Standards, Grand Terrace ▪ Colton HUB City Centre Specific Plan Amendments, Colton ▪ Objective Design Standards, New Multi-Family Zone, Zoning Map, and Land Use Element Amendment, Los Altos Hills
▪ New Mixed-Use Zone and Zoning Map, City of Thousand Oaks ▪ Housing Zoning Code Update, County of San Diego
▪ Safety Element, City of Chula Vista
▪ Housing Unlocked, County of San Diego
▪ Assessment of Fair Housing, County of Riverside
▪ Let’s Talk Housing, County of San Diego
▪ Objective Design Standards, City of La Cañada-Flintridge Years Experience/Years with Firm
6 / 5
Education
B.A., Urban Studies and Planning,
University of California, San Diego
Minors: Environmental Studies and
Engineering Mechanics
Licenses/Certifications
American Institute of Certified
Planners, 2025, 37402

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

PROJECT PRINCIPAL
Alicia Gonzalez
Ms. Gonzalez provides on‑call planning and environmental management and oversight for projects throughout Southern California. A CEQA generalist and planning practitioner, she translates technical and engineering concepts into clear, accessible information for agencies, stakeholders, and the public. She strengthens on‑time, on‑budget delivery through proactive schedule management through task prioritization and routine check‑ins with project staff and subconsultants; strong project administration, including agendas, meeting minutes, action tracking, administrative record compilation, and file management; effective use of technology to streamline collaboration, documentation, and record‑keeping; rigorous QA/QC oversight aligned with Michael Baker’s quality policies and procedures; and close monitoring of scope, budget, and deliverables to support predictable project performance.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
▪ I-15 Logistics Center Project, City of Fontana
▪ Foothills Commerce Center Project, City of Fontana
▪ Downtown Parking Structure Project, City of Fontana
▪ On-Call Environmental and Planning Consultants, City of Fontana ▪ Mountain View Villas TTM No 20863, City of Fontana
▪ Monte Vista Homes Master Case No. 20-073, City of Fontana ▪ CEQA for Housing Element Updates, 10+ Jurisdictions
▪ As Needed Professional Planning Services, City of Menifee ▪ On-Call General Planning and Environmental Support Services, Riverside County
▪ On-Call Environmental and Planning Consulting Services, City of Colton ▪ On-Call Staffing and Comprehensive Planning Services, City of Eastvale ▪ San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) CTO No. 14, Subregional Partnership Program. Cities of Grand Terrace, Chino Hills, Needles, Upland, and San Bernardino County
▪ Grand Terrace Assembly and Light Manufacturing Building Project, City of Grand Terrace
▪ Barton Road Specific Plan Project, City of Grand Terrace ▪ Hub City Center Specific Plan Amendment, City of Colton ▪ Cabazon Community Plan and Infrastructure Plan EIR, County of Riverside
▪ Eastvale 2040 General Plan and EIR, City of Eastvale
Years Experience/Years with Firm
12 / 12
Education
B.S, Biological Science, California
State University at San Marcos

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

PROGRAM & QA/QC MANAGER
Dan Wery, AICP, LEED AP
Mr. Wery is a veteran program and project manager for all types of planning and development projects of all sizes and complexity and will serve as principal-in-charge. He is an expert in policy and ordinance development, urban design, and comprehensive planning and environmental on-call services, and has reviewed and entitled hundreds of development projects. He has prepared multiple comprehensive zoning code updates, General Plans, specific plans, corridor studies, Housing Elements, and many special projects for dozens of municipalities. Mr. Wery will provide subject matter expertise, strategic guidance, quality assurance and control, and will ensure the project is accomplished on time and within budget.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
▪ Housing Element Updates, 20+ jurisdictions
▪ Housing Element Rezoning Programs, 5+ jurisdictions
▪ Safety and Environmental Justice Elements, 5+ jurisdictions ▪ Comprehensive General Plan Update and Commercial District Vision Plan, City of Rolling Hills Estates
▪ Comprehensive Development Code Update, City of Menifee ▪ Casa de Oro Campo Road Revitalization Specific Plan, County of San Diego ▪ Valencia Town Center Specific Plan, City of Santa Clarita ▪ Retail Recovery Study, City of Palo Alto
▪ On-Call Advance Planning Services, County of San Diego ▪ On-Call Planning and Housing Services, City of Chula Vista ▪ Housing Unlocked Zoning Code Amendments, County of San Diego ▪ Housing Zoning Ordinance Update, County of San Diego
▪ Objective Design Standards, 5+ jurisdictions
Years Experience/Years with Firm
39 / 21
Education
B.A., Urban Studies, Columbia
University
Licenses/Certifications
American Institute of Certified
Planners, 1993, 010438
LEED Accredited Professional, 2009,
10037662

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

HOUSING SPECIALIST
Shannon Liska, AICP
Ms. Liska has an experienced background in long-range planning with a focus in California state housing laws. She has expertise in managing and supporting a variety of policy, ordinance, and environmental projects, including preparation of Housing Elements, community planning documents, entitlement support, environmental documentation, and GIS services. She is a skilled researcher and clear communicator. Passionate about housing, she has managed, supported, or provided technical assistance on over 20 6th and 7th Cycle Housing Elements.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
▪ 6th and 7th Cycle Housing Element updates, over 20 jurisdictions ▪ Housing Infill on Public and Private Lands,
San Bernardino County Transit Authority
▪ Housing Unlocked, County of San Diego
▪ Housing Zoning Ordinance Update, County of San Diego
▪ Colton Hub City Centre Specific Plan Amendments, City of Colton ▪ Zoning Code Amendments & Process Improvements, County of San Diego ▪ Retail Recovery Study, City of Palo Alto
Years Experience/Years with Firm
6 / 5
Education
M.C.P., City Planning,
San Diego State University
B.A., Sociology, Gonzaga University
B.A., Economics, Gonzaga University
Licenses/Certifications
American Institute of Certified
Planners, 2023, 35033

HOUSING SPECIALIST
Cameron Savois, LEED GA
Mr. Savois has experience in leading and supporting a variety of design, transportation and community development projects, including preparation of active transportation plans, safe routes to school plans, design guidelines, conceptual site plans and GIS services. He is a skilled and versatile urban planner and clear communicator. Past projects include multimodal transportation plans, specific plans, Housing Elements, zoning studies, and military facility plans.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
▪ Housing Element updates, over 10 jurisdictions
▪ Community Based Transportation Program, County of San Diego ▪ SBC Safe Routes to Schools. San Bernardino County
▪ Rezoning and Objective Design Standards, City of Grand Terrace ▪ Housing Element Update, Objective Design Standards, and New Multifamily Zone, Town of Los Altos Hills
▪ Retail Recovery Study, City of Palo Alto
▪ Housing Unlocked, County of San Diego
▪ Objective Design Standards, City of La Cañada Flintridge Years Experience/Years with Firm
10 / 4
Education
M.U.R.P., Planning and Urban Design,
University of Colorado at Denver
B.A.E., Environmental Planning and
Design, University of New Mexico
Licenses/Certifications
LEED Green Associate

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

CEQA MANAGER
Elizabeth Meyerhoff
Ms. Meyerhoff brings 20 years of experience as a project manager and environmental planner with extensive working knowledge of California’s complex environmental regulations. Prior to joining Michael Baker International, she served as an environmental specialist with the Coachella Valley Water District overseeing CEQA, CEQA-Plus, and NEPA compliance for their Capital Improvement Program, operation and maintenance activities, and mitigation projects. Ms. Meyerhoff has successfully acquired regulatory permits from the USACE, RWQCB, CDFW, and has working relationships with several Native American tribal governments throughout Southern California. Public outreach and community engagement efforts include delivering project-specific scoping, hosting open houses, and project presentations to various committees, including engagement in direct dialog with the public and key stakeholders.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
▪ Mountain View Villas TTM No 20863, City of Fontana
▪ Indian Canyon Drive Improvements Project, Coachella Valley Association of Governments. City of Palm Springs
▪ Frank Sinatra Drive Widening Project, City of Rancho Mirage ▪ Meloland Road Bridge Project, Imperial County Public Works ▪ Davis Road Bridge Project, Imperial County Public Works ▪ Broadband Strategic Master Plan, City of San Bernardino ▪ Coachella Rail Station Feasibility Study, City of Coachella ▪ Grand Terrace: On-Call Planning and Environmental Services Support.

Years Experience/Years with Firm
20 / 4
Education
Post-Baccalaureate Professional
Certificate, Land Use and
Environmental Planning, University of
California, Riverside Extension
B.A., Sociology, University of
California, Riverside

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

CEQA SPECIALIST
Haley Walker
As an associate planner at Michael Baker, Ms. Walker has a diverse background in environmental sciences, as well as achieving a professional certificate in geographic information system (GIS). Her work primarily involves preparation of environmental compliance documentation pursuant to CEQA; including categorical exemption reports, initial studies, EIRs, and CEQA addendums. Her work also involves preparing compliance documents pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for public and private sector clients, including environmental assessments. Ms. Walker is proficient in the subject of technical writing and prides herself on her research and communication skills.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
▪ Mountain View Villas TTM No 20863, City of Fontana
▪ Hub City Center Specific Plan Amendment, City of Colton ▪ Cabazon Community Plan and Infrastructure Plan EIR, County of Riverside
▪ Housing Element Rezone Notice of Exemption, Grand Terrace ▪ 781 East El Camino Real Project, City of Sunnyvale
▪ Buttonwillow Maverik Gas Station, County of Kern
▪ Eastvale Civic Center, City of Eastvale
▪ Los Altos Hills 6th Cycle Housing Element Update, Town of Los Altos Hills ▪ Assembly and Light Manufacturing Building, City of Grand Terrace ▪ Riverside County 2023 Climate Action Plan Addendum, County of Riverside ▪ 21950 Temescal Canyon Road, County of Riverside
▪ 1035 El Camino Real Mixed-Use Development, City of Sunnyvale Years Experience/Years with Firm
3 / 3
Education
B.S., Environmental Science and
Management, Humboldt State
University, Arcata

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

STRATEGIC HOUSING ADVISOR
Veronica Tam, AICP
Ms. Tam is the principal at Veronica Tam & Associates. She has expertise in the areas of housing policy development and community development planning. She has over 25 years of experience preparing a range of housing and community development plans and studies for jurisdictions throughout California.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
▪ 6th Cycle Housing Elements, various, over 80 jurisdictions ▪ Consolidated Plans and Related Reports, over 10 jurisdictions ▪ Fair housing studies, over 10 jurisdictions
▪ Inclusionary Housing Policy, City of Ventura
▪ Housing Assessment and Housing Element Implementation Assessment, Gateway Cities Council of Governments
▪ HUD Pro-Housing Grant Application, City of Long Beach ▪ Religious Facility and Institution Affordable Housing Overlay, City of Long Beach
Years Experience
20+
Education
MA, Urban Planning, University of
California, Los Angeles
BES, Urban and Regional Planning
(Economics Minor), University of
Waterloo, Canada
Licenses/Certifications
American Institute of Certified
Planners

HOUSING SPECIALIST (VTA)
Lori Parrington
Ms. Parrington has over 12 years of planning experience in the public and private sectors. Her housing experience includes Housing Elements, zoning code updates, special studies, Specific Plan preparation and environmental review. At VTA, Ms. Parrington contributes to a variety of housing studies as well as environmental clearance requirements for housing-related projects.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
▪ 6th Cycle Housing Elements, various, over 10 jurisdictions ▪ Consolidated Plans and Related Reports for Cities of Delano, Glendale, Monterey, Salinas
▪ Gateway Cities Housing Assessment, Gateway Cities Council of Governments
▪ Gateway Cities AFFH Housing Policy Analysis, Gateway Cities Council of Governments
▪ HUD PRO Housing Grant Application, City of Long Beach

Years Experience
12+
Education
Master in Urban and Regional
Planning, University of California,
Irvine
Bachelor in Political Science,
University of Colorado at Boulder

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

HOUSING SPECIALIST (VTA)
Jamie Power
Ms. Power joined VTA in 2020 and has been assisting with the preparation of various housing studies. Ms. Power is well versed in using Census and CHAS datasets for housing and demographic analysis. As a planner, she contributes to the preparation of a variety of housing studies and reports.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
▪ 6
th Cycle Housing Elements, over 20 jurisdictions
▪ Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Analysis, 10 different jurisdictions ▪ Consolidated Plans and Annual Reports, multiple jurisdictions ▪ Gateway Cities Housing Assessment, Gateway Cities Council of Governments
▪ Gateway Cities AFFH Housing Policy Analysis, Gateway Cities Council of Governments
Years Experience
6 Education
BS, 2020, Environmental Studies,
University of California, Santa Barbara

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING AND APPROACH

C. STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING AND APPROACH
Project Understanding and Approach
We understand that the City of Fontana is seeking a consultant to work with the City to prepare the City’s 7th Cycle Housing Element. The Michael Baker team has an intimate understanding of the critical elements and variables necessary to prepare the City’s 7th Cycle Housing Element update and obtain HCD certification quickly and efficiently.

Michael Baker stands as the premier partner for the City’s 7th Cycle Housing Element. Our team brings unmatched leadership, proven expertise, and a deep, Fontana-specific understanding of the critical elements needed to secure timely and efficient HCD certification. We have an exceptional track record in delivering successful Housing Elements throughout San Bernardino County, consistently meeting and exceeding our clients’ needs and goals. Our specialized knowledge enables us to anticipate and tackle every key challenge—including overlay zone adjustments, no net loss buffers, ADU and SB 9 implementation, SB 330 compliance, Builder’s Remedy considerations, and potential EIR requirements—with practical, actionable solutions. We are committed to providing programs that are not only certifiable but are truly implementable and tailored to Fontana’s unique circumstances. With Michael Baker, Fontana gains a trusted leader dedicated to delivering results and ensuring the Housing Element update is completed efficiently, on schedule, and in full alignment with the City’s vision.

Leading Housing Element Experts. Michael Baker has prepared well over 100 Housing Elements. Our core team prepared and obtained HCD certification for over 20 Housing Elements during the 6th Cycle, including 8 Housing Elements in San Bernardino County, and has already obtained certification for one 7th Cycle Housing Element. We regularly use our comprehensive land use, zoning, environmental resource identification, housing law knowledge, regulation and permitting, and land development and entitlement skills and experience as part of our identification and evaluation of the housing resources and RHNA candidate sites and inventories. Our work in the San Bernardino County community, including with cities like Redlands, Colton, and Chino Hills, has taught us that many of these areas are already considered built out, and we will use our knowledge and experience to identify both vacant and non-vacant sites with higher likelihood of developability, while listening to the needs of stakeholders and community members that value existing community character.

Extensive City of Fontana Experience and Working Knowledge. We have a deep knowledge and understanding of the City of Fontana, due to our continued partnership and multiple projects under our Planning and Environmental On-Call contract.

Our team has worked with the City for several years, providing project review and recommendations to bring a wide range of projects to completion on time and within budget, including large to small private developments where cost and time were of the essence. Through our existing and multiple past contracts, our team understands City processes and we will use this experience to inform the Housing Element and develop housing programs that will be implementable and efficient within existing City structures.

Proven Sites Inventory Analysis Methodology and Model. We are experts in developing adequate sites inventories to meet the RHNA. This has often included the development of rezone programs to meet the dramatic increases in RHNA between recent Housing Element cycles. Not only did we work closely with cities to develop rezoning programs, but we have also been assisting many of the same cities with implementation of their Housing Element programs, including creation of new multifamily and mixed-use zoning districts, upzoning programs, specific plan amendments, objective design standards, and preapproved ADU construction plans. Our continued work with our Housing Element clients has given us an intimate knowledge of city processes and how to select sites and draft programs that make sense on a practical level.

With the recent court case against the City of Redondo Beach, there are restrictions to including sites in overlay zones toward meeting lower-income RHNA requirements. We will evaluate the sites identified in the R4 overlay for continued effectiveness. We will identify new sites and reevaluate sites identified from the 6th Cycle Housing Element Inventory.

Trusted Expert and Efficient Project Management and Coordination. We understand that Fontana is seeking a consultant that has proven project management skills, as well as an approach and process the City can trust and rely on to ensure the Housing Element update meets the City’s goals and objectives, is prepared in a timely and efficient manner, and enables City staff to accomplish all of its other responsibilities. Our housing team members are trained in the Michael Baker system to be highly effective project managers. Our team has excellent communication and reporting skills to match our subject

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING AND APPROACH

matter skills and expertise, and the commitment to client satisfaction. We routinely deliver our projects on time and within budget and earn client appreciation. This is proven by requests for our services on additional projects and eager references for new clients. We encourage Fontana to contact our references about our services.

We have great admiration for and love teaming with our trusted partner, VTA. We know how to work together to complement each other’s strengths. Our division of labor and internal peer review and support ensure that our collective efforts result in advantages for the City.

Expedited Project Schedule - Sooner is Better. We recommend a schedule that has an early start in order to achieve a letter of substantial compliance as soon as possible before the City’s statutory deadline of October 15, 2029. There are distinct advantages and a reduction of risks and disadvantages by starting the Housing Element update early and completing it as soon as possible. Generally, the sooner the Housing Element can be prepared, adopted and certified, the less likely it will be subject to new laws and proceduresthat generally only increase staff and consultant time, costs, and complexity. Advantages include lower preparation costs, minimizing exposure to new housing laws and escalation of HCD expectations and review standards and requirements, increased flexibility and response time, and avoidance and minimization of SB 330 and Builder’s Remedy applications, among other considerations. The state legislature adopted many new laws that effectively changed the rules during the 6
th Cycle Housing Element planning period. Cities and counties that completed their Housing Elements earlier in the planning period were able to do so with significantly less effort and cost than those that started and were completed later. Many of the Housing Elements that HCD certified would not have been found to be substantially compliant even months later. We have provided a schedule that demonstrates a very reasonable and comfortable schedule that ensures completion well before the statutory deadline. We can complete the Housing Element much more quickly depending on staff availability and capacity.

For a variety of reasons, many San Bernardino County jurisdictions started late and fell behind the statutory deadlines.

Several then hired Michael Baker to complete and obtain certification of their Housing Elements started by other consultants. HCD’s expectations for site substantiation, local knowledge, and program metrics for these communities were notably much greater and more intensive than those for similar and neighboring cities who achieved early certification. Early start and completion avoids new statutory requirements and evolving and ever-higher HCD expectations.

RHNA Process and Representation. One of the anticipated challenges is that the City has yet to receive the RHNA. The RHNA will determine whether and to what extent the City may need to rely on non-vacant and nonresidential sites and rezoning to provide adequate sites to meet the RHNA and no net loss buffer. We anticipate that the 7th Cycle RHNA will be relatively similar to the 6th Cycle RHNA of 17,519 units, and not the dramatic increase many communities experienced between the 5th and 6th Cycles. Our team is prepared to assist and represent Fontana during the development of the methodology for the RHNA process. We are also prepared to help Fontana develop the optimal RHNA sites inventory, and land use and zoning solutions for the assigned RHNA. Many chapters of the Housing Element can be started before receipt of the RHNA numbers, including much of the Needs Analysis, Constraints Analysis, Review of Past Accomplishments, and Programs. Our team can begin work on these chapters to get a head start on Housing Element development before the RHNA numbers are known.

Time Is of the Essence: Capacity, Speed and Responsiveness Is Our Advantage. In this context, time is of the essence. Our team is highly efficient, effective, and responsive. Our Housing Elements usually obtain HCD certification in fewer HCD review cycles than average, even for cities with unusual or challenging circumstances. This ultimately saves time and money and reduces exposure to statutory deadlines, changes, and legal challenges. For these reasons, we have included our good friends and frequent and trusted partners from VTA to provide additional capacity to help prepare and complete the Housing Element update as fast as possible. The sooner we start, the faster and easier it will be to complete the 7th Cycle Housing Element.

CITY OF FONTANA HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING AND APPROACH

Scope of Services
The City’s RFP requests that the consultant present a complete scope. Due to the page limitations placed on Section C, our Scope of Services is provided in an Appendix. To ensure clarity and transparency, the Appendix contains a comprehensive outline of all tasks, deliverables, and proposed methodologies that align with the City’s expectations and the requirements detailed in the RFP. Each task within the Scope of Services is numbered to correspond directly with the items listed in the Work Schedule and Costs, allowing for seamless cross-referencing. This structure ensures that every aspect of the City’s needs—from project management and coordination to detailed analysis and reporting—is thoroughly addressed.

Additionally, placing the Scope of Services in the Appendix allows us to include more detailed explanations and supporting information than would be possible within the page-limited Section C, providing the City with a complete understanding of our approach and commitment to fulfilling all required services efficiently and effectively.

CITY OF FONTANA THE GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE, PL-26-175-SP WORK SCHEDULE

D.WORK SCHEDULE
Housing Elements in San Bernardino County must be adopted by October 15, 2029 (with a 120-day grace period). This schedule assumes certification will be achieved 6 months before the statutory deadline. AB 1398 requires that certification be achieved within the grace period in order to get three years to complete the rezoning to meet the RHNA. If certification is not achieved by the grace period, the City only has one year to complete the necessary rezoning to meet the RHNA.

Completion of certain tasks, such as the sites inventory, fair housing analysis, and subsequent full drafts of the Housing Element, are dependent upon receipt of the final RHNA determination. We will provide a revised project schedule once the RHNA is finalized. As noted, we can complete the Housing Element much earlier than shown, should the final RHNA allocation be determined prior to Q3, 2027.

Q2, 2026 Q3, 2026 Q4, 2026 Q1, 2027 Q2, 2027 Q3, 2027 Q4, 2027 Q1, 2028 Q2, 2028 Q3, 2028 Q4, 2028 Q1, 2029 Q2, 2029 Task 1.1: Project Kickoff Meeting
Task 1.2: Project Schedule
Task 1.3 Project Management, Coordination, and Quality Control Task 2.1: Review of SCAG data and methodology on the draft and final RHNA numbers Task 3.1: Review of the City of Fontana General Plan (2015-2035) Task 4.1: Community and Stakeholder Outreach and Engagement Strategy Task 4.2: Online Survey
Task 4.3: Community Workshops
Task 4.4: Planning Commission and City Council Workshops Task 4.5: Stakeholder Focus Groups
Task 5.1: Planning Commission and City Council Adoption Materials Task 6.1: Public Hearing Attendance and Support
Task 7.1: Addendum to the General Plan EIR
Task 8.1: Tribal Consultation Assistance
Task 9.1: Administrative Draft Chapters
Task 9.1.1: Housing Needs Analysis (VTA)
Task 9.1.2: Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing
Task 9.1.3: Sites Inventory and Analysis of Resources
Task 9.1.4: Electronic Sites Inventory Form
Task 9.1.5: Analysis of Constraints on Housing
Task 9.1.6: Housing Goals, Policies and Programs
Task 9.1.7: Review of Past Accomplishments
Task 9.2: Screencheck and Public Review Drafts
Task 9.3: HCD Review Draft
Task 9.4: Final Housing Element
Task 10.1: HCD Coordination and Meetings
TASK 1: PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION
TASK 2: REVIEW OF SCAG DATA AND METHODOLOGY
TASK 10: LIAISON FOR HCD CERTIFICATION
TASK 9: HOUSING ELEMENT PREPARATION
TASK 8: TRIBAL CONSULTATION AND SB 18 AND AB 52 SUPPORT TASK 7: CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)
TASK 6: PUBLIC HEARING SUPPORT
TASK 5: PUBLIC HEARING MATERIALS
TASK 4: COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT
TASK 3: REVIEW OF THE CITY OF FONTANA GENERAL PLAN
Key
Michael Baker Deliverable
Public Engagement and Review
HCD Review and Comment
Planning Commission and City Council
CITY OF FONTANA THE GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE, PL-26-175-SP REFERENCES

E. REFERENCES
Michael Baker has completed more than 100 Housing Elements statewide. Our experience with Housing Elements enables our team to hit the ground running upon notice to proceed, allowing the City to preserve staff and budgetary resources. We have a proven track record of successfully completing projects on time and within budget. Excellent organization, tools, and methods to monitor budgets, an emphasis on communication both internally and externally, and a structured project management approach are a few examples of how Michael Baker maintains client satisfaction. To hear what our clients have to say about us, we invite you to contact our references below. 6 th
Cycle Housing Element Update,
Fiscal Impact Assessment, and Rezone
City of Grand Terrace, CA
Michael Baker assisted the City in drafting the City of Grand Terrace’s 6th Cycle Housing Element. The team was contracted after the City’s first draft was submitted and the City received a long review letter. The Michael Baker team worked with the existing first draft, drafted a new set of programs, full AFFH chapter, full revised sites analysis, and constraints chapter for the City.

The work included a thorough sites analysis on parcels in the City that would be suitable for multifamily zoning and housing development. Michael Baker conducted an analysis of zoned and potential capacity for the City to help identify parcels to meet the 6th Cycle RHNA and prepare for the 7th Cycle as well.

Michael Baker developed and implemented a high density
rezone for 97 acres within the City of Grand Terrace. This included an amendment to the land use element, fiscal impact analysis, zoning code, and zoning and land use maps to
incorporate and implement standards for an R4 zone at 40 du/ac. The additional acreage is intended to promote
opportunities beyond state law for affordable housing
development and a variety of housing types.

6 th
Cycle Housing Element Update and
Development of First Multifamily Zone
Town of Los Altos Hills, CA
Michael Baker prepared a comprehensive set of revisions to the town’s Housing Element, which included introducing highdensity zoning in a community that only allowed single-family units with a one-acre minimum lot size. We conducted thorough sites analysis on parcels in the town that would be suitable for the town’s first multifamily zoning and housing development.

Following Housing Element adoption and receipt of a letter of substantial compliance from HCD, Michael Baker continued work with the town to develop and implement the first
multifamily zones in the town. This included market feasibility analyses, development of entirely new zoning district and development standards and objective design standards, and thorough outreach and extensive community engagement with the town’s Planning Commission, ad hoc committees, City Council and HCD to develop and adopt the new zoning and objective development standards and implement the Housing Element programs.

Scott Hutter, Planning & Development Services
Director
909-954-5177
[email protected]
22795 Barton Road
Grand Terrace, CA 92313
Jay Bradford, Community Development Director
650-559-2244
[email protected]
26379 Fremont Road
Los Altos Hills, CA 94022

PROJECT REFERENCE PROJECT REFERENCE
CITY OF FONTANA THE GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE, PL-26-175-SP REFERENCES

6 th
Cycle Housing Element
City of Modesto, CA
Michael Baker prepared a full and comprehensive 6th Cycle Housing Element for the City of Modesto, a City of similar size to Fontana.

The project involved a comprehensive public engagement plan and dedicated project website. Public outreach, including a housing needs survey and virtual community workshops, were conducted in English and Spanish. All public facing materials, including the full final draft Housing Element, were fully ADA compliant and translated into Spanish. Jointly with the City, Michael Baker held multiple City Council and Planning
Commission workshops.

Outreach also included focus groups with both market rate and affordable housing developers to discuss the development opportunities and trends in Modesto and the greater region.

The sites analysis included analyzing sites that would be suitable for housing or redevelopment and projecting estimated housing capacity based on recent City development trends. A thorough evaluation of development capacity, regional trends, and nonvacant properties was analyzed during the sites selection process. Michael Baker prepared a set of alternative and backup net loss sites for the City to use in the event of a net loss situation.

6 th
Cycle Housing Element and Hub City
Centre Specific Plan Amendment
City of Colton, CA
Michael Baker drafted comprehensive updates to the City’s 6th Cycle Housing Element. This included analyzing sites that would be suitable for housing or redevelopment and projecting estimated housing capacity based on recent City development trends.

The sites inventory relied almost entirely on non-vacant sites to meet the City’s RHNA and included substantial rezoning. Michael Baker collaborated with the City to evaluate local development trends, appropriate non-vacant sites, and City infrastructure capacity.

In order to implement the rezoning included in the Housing Element, Michael Baker prepared an amendment to the Hub City Centre Specific Plan to rezone sites in the Specific Plan area to meet the City’s RHNA. The sites identified were rezoned to a new Residential Mixed-Use (RES-MU) zoning district allowing 20 to 40 dwelling units per acre. Michael Baker also prepared objective design standards that apply to the new RES-MU zone.

The Specific Plan Amendment upholds the City’s vision to restore the sense of community, vibrancy, and vitality of the small-town atmosphere. This includes incorporating a broad range of uses all within walking distance of one another. In addition, the vision includes creating a new main street setting, creating new employment opportunities, and establishing a new strong economic base for the City.

Michael Hren, Principal Planner
209-577-5273
[email protected]
1010 10th Street
Modesto, CA 95354
Mario Suarez, Planning Manager
909-370-5523
[email protected]
659 North La Cadena Drive
Colton, CA 92324

PROJECT REFERENCE PROJECT REFERENCE
CITY OF FONTANA THE GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE, PL-26-175-SP APPENDIX – SCOPE OF SERVICES

APPENDIX – SCOPE OF SERVICES
Scope of Services
Our proposed work plan to complete the Housing Element update is outlined below. As requested, the scope includes all of the tasks requested in the scope of work contained in the RFP, and task numbers in the proposed scope match the City’s request.

Task 1 – Project Management and Coordination
Task 1.1 Project Kickoff Meeting
At the project kickoff meeting, the Michael Baker project team will hold a virtual meeting with City staff to review and refine the scope of work, discuss expectations and assumptions, collect information sources, and go through the project schedule and work plan for carrying out the work.

We will also take this opportunity to agree on the best and preferred methods for ensuring regular communication with the City, including biweekly calls, progress reports, or other communication methods. Our work plan will include
information regarding quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) protocols and project management items agreed
upon at the kickoff meeting. After the kickoff meeting, we will develop a detailed project timeline with milestones beginning with review of the 2021-2029 Housing Element update and an initial review and discussion of opportunity sites proceeding through City Council adoption by the October 2029 statutory adoption deadline.

Task Deliverables:
✓ Agenda for kickoff meeting provided at least 3 business days in advance
✓ Virtual meeting attendance
✓ Meeting minutes provided no more than 3 business days after the meeting
✓ Work plan including contact information and QA/QC
protocols
✓ Initial data request list
Task 1.2 Project Schedule
The project team will work with the City to refine the initial project schedule with a list of critical path tasks required to proceed toward adoption by the October 15, 2029, statutory deadline. This will include clearly defined tasks with marked milestones, and start and end dates both for Michael Baker analysis and development, and for City review. This schedule can be revised based on other known City projects and
capacity. We will work with the City to integrate tasks to occur concurrently to the degree feasible in order to reduce the overall project timeline. Additionally, refinements will be made after the kickoff meeting.

Task Deliverable:
✓ Project schedule with clearly defined tasks, milestones, and task start and end dates
Task 1.3 Project Management, Coordination, and Quality
Control
The Michael Baker project management style includes regular communication between the project manager and the City.

The project manager, in conjunction with the task leads, will coordinate on key tasks to meet the overall project schedule.

The project manager will implement Michael Baker’s QA/QC program and provide monthly invoices and status updates.

We will schedule a standing conference call every two weeks throughout the project. These calls provide an opportunity to review tasks in progress, share information, identify and resolve any issues early, and review key milestones and upcoming deliverables. The project team will also
communicate with City staff by email and phone throughout the project, independent from the scheduled calls. In addition, this task assumes weekly tracking/monitoring of the project schedule and monthly billing and invoicing. Meetings will be conducted via Microsoft Teams to facilitate team schedules and minimize travel time and costs throughout the project.

Task Deliverables:
✓ Biweekly agenda for coordination meetings provided at least 3 business days in advance
✓ Meeting attendance
✓ Meeting minutes provided no more than 3 business days after the meeting
✓ Monthly written progress summary reports with invoices Task 2 – Review of SCAG Data and Methodology
Task 2.1 Review of SCAG data and methodology on the draft and final RHNA numbers
This task includes providing as-needed technical support during the RHNA process. Michael Baker will attend as-needed any Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) or San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA)
meetings and review rationale and implications of the
proposed RHNA allocation methodology and estimates for the City’s assigned RHNA during the RHNA allocation process.

Michael Baker will review the assigned RHNA, methodology, and approach for best planning practices to identify any flaws or formulas that result in inequities or unreasonable
CITY OF FONTANA THE GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE, PL-26-175-SP APPENDIX – SCOPE OF SERVICES

distribution. We will provide a RHNA Allocation Memorandum to the City, including best practices analysis comparing the SBCTA distribution system to similar jurisdictions. We will evaluate the logic, fairness, and impacts of the methodology and calculations. This task is proposed as a time and materials budget.

Task Deliverables:
✓ As-needed meeting attendance and technical assistance (time and materials basis)
✓ Memorandum analyzing draft and final RHNA methodology Option Task 2.2 Appeal of the 7th Cycle RHNA Distribution As Fontana is the second largest city in San Bernardino County and the 20th largest in California, Fontana is likely to have a large distribution of the SBCTA RHNA. We will monitor,
participate, and represent the City in the RHNA determination process, potentially in coordination with other cities, to ensure the distribution approach and formula are justifiable and equitable. We will work with staff and City attorneys to identify any flaws with or alternatives to the methodology and
rationale. If necessary, we will assist staff and City attorneys in preparing and supporting an appeal based on our evaluation of the final allocation methodology. We have allocated an estimated budget of 164 staff hours to this task, to be billed on a time and materials basis.

Optional Task Deliverables:
✓ As-needed meeting attendance for coordination
✓ Assistance to City attorney and staff with preparation of an appeal
Task 3 – Review of the City of Fontana General Plan
Task 3.1 Review of the City of Fontana General Plan (2015- 2035), including the Housing Element that was certified by HCD for the 6th Cycle 2021-2029 and its associated data and information
Michael Baker will conduct an initial overall review and assessment of the 2021-2029 (6th Cycle) Housing Element. An evaluation of 6th Cycle programs will be submitted as a matrix.

This matrix will include the review of housing program
accomplishments including status, evaluation of
implementation and effectiveness, and whether the prior housing programs will be retained, modified, deleted, or amended with new programs.

This task will include review of the documents relevant to the Housing Element update such as:
• 2021-2029 Housing Element
• Annual Progress Reports
• Zoning Code
• Specific Plans
• Past communication with HCD, including any findings
letters
• Land Use Element and Environmental Justice
Appendix (for consistency)
• Other applicable programs and ordinances identified
during project kickoff
This matrix will be used to draft the Review of Past
Accomplishments chapter of the Housing Element. SB 1035 requires cities to update their Safety Element upon adoption of a new Housing Element. Environmental Justice elements are also required to be updated upon the adoption of two or more elements concurrently. We would be happy to provide a scope for these additional elements should the City need support in their development.

Task Deliverables:
✓ Matrix evaluating effectiveness of the 6th Cycle Housing Element and analyzing related materials
Task 4 – Community Outreach and Engagement
Task 4.1 Community and Stakeholder Outreach and
Engagement Strategy
One of the most critical aspects of the Housing Element update process is the importance of the public participation process.

Through the significant changes made to the required fair housing analysis during the 6th Cycle, we know that Housing Element certification relies heavily upon local knowledge to supplement and better understand the data and housing issues at hand, as well as to create programs that work best to serve local and regional needs—and there is no better source of local knowledge than the residents, stakeholders, and leaders of the City of Fontana to help shape the tailored housing solutions for their community. We will provide a short memorandum
detailing the outreach plan for the Housing Element process, and will work with the City to coordinate with other ongoing outreach on City projects and find opportunities for
collaboration to avoid outreach fatigue for notable
stakeholders. After each outreach event, we will provide a summary of the feedback received.

Task Deliverables:
✓ Community Outreach Plan Memorandum
✓ Summary of each community engagement element as
noted in the deliverables of Tasks 4.2-4.4
Task 4.2 Online Survey
The Michael Baker team will prepare an online community housing needs survey, available in both English and Spanish, which is another key method to obtaining valuable
information. Our surveys regularly attract detailed responses and valuable information from hundreds of residents that help identify issues, priorities, and suitable Housing Element CITY OF FONTANA THE GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE, PL-26-175-SP APPENDIX – SCOPE OF SERVICES

programs. The survey has the advantage of occurring over a longer period, including bracketing other engagement events to provide more input and follow-up comments. The survey is recommended to be relatively simple to encourage
participation, and would focus on identifying housing needs, opportunities, issues, priorities, and recommended policies.

We recommend that the survey be kept open throughout the engagement period covering development of the Housing
Element, up to and including the public review periods. It would close before the public hearings on the draft elements or can be modified to collect comments on the public review draft. We will also provide a flyer with language in both English and Spanish for the City to use to advertise availability of the survey to residents.

Task Deliverables:
✓ Online survey (English and Spanish)
✓ Flyer advertising the availability of the survey and
community workshops (Task 4.3) for posting in City Hall or on the City’s social media (English and Spanish)
✓ Summary of survey results for inclusion in the Housing Element
Task 4.3 Community Workshops
We propose two online/virtual (live) community workshop presentations at different times to meet with community residents, agencies, and key stakeholders. We recommend the first workshop to happen relatively early in the process to introduce the project, process and timeline. The second workshop would occur later and can focus on the preliminary results, findings, recommendations, and programs. Utilizing this format, we will provide a brief presentation summarizing the Housing Element update process, as well as background and contextual information including purpose, goals,
objectives, contents, and key issues and concerns. The
presentations will include interactive live polls with the public followed by brief discussions of the results as well as questions and answers throughout the workshops.

A key advantage of the online format is that meetings are more convenient for individuals to attend from a remote location, and can be more easily accessible for those with mobility issues or who would otherwise have to find transportation. Another advantage is the ability to record the workshops for later viewing, sharing and summary. This includes transcripts of the written questions and answers, and information on workshop attendance. Should the City want these workshops to be
conducted in person, we can provide an updated scope.

We anticipate having two to three members of Michael Baker’s outreach team at these meetings to facilitate community feedback and answer questions. Project team staff will prepare the PowerPoint presentation materials and facilitate the discussion. We assume City staff will participate to assist with the presentation and the question-and-answer portion of the session. Presentation materials will be provided in both English and Spanish. The community workshops can include live
Spanish translation depending on City preference.

Task Deliverables:
✓ Two PowerPoint presentations including Spanish
translation and live polls (preliminary draft for City review and final draft for each)
✓ Two virtual community workshop events, including one
interpreter per workshop
✓ Two workshop recordings for posting on the City website ✓ Summary of community input for inclusion in the Housing Element
✓ Flyer advertising the availability of the survey (Task 4.2) and community workshops for posting in City Hall or on
the City’s social media (English and Spanish)
Task 4.4 Planning Commission and City Council Workshops In order to promote efficiency and cost savings, we propose two in person joint study sessions with the City Council and Planning Commission. If the City would prefer 4 separate workshops, 2 for Planning Commission, and 2 for City Council, we would be happy to change the work plan with a revision to the fee. The State of California has passed several laws that have dramatically changed the landscape of housing planning.

For communities, these laws are complicated, confusing, and/or are so new that the impact is uncertain. Some of these laws have strict requirements and limit the ability of
jurisdictions to customize planning policies to their own preferences. For these reasons, we propose conducting an early study session for the City Council and Planning
Commission to prepare the voting bodies for eventual Housing Element adoption and gather critical local knowledge. We recommend conducting a Housing Element 101 Workshop
early in the process, followed by a site and program specific workshop to gather feedback later in the process. The first will be early in the process to inform interested parties of the undertaking and to seek input on specific key issues and opportunities, and key components of the Housing Element update. This session can also discuss the statutory and the dramatically increased HCD authority, expectations, review requirements and scrutiny to obtain certification. A key objective is to review, prioritize, and strategize the specific accomplishments, timelines, and resources for the
programs/goals. The second will provide a status update on proposed programs and sites and can focus on the preliminary results, findings, recommendations, and programs.

The Michael Baker team will prepare a presentation for each session. This task assumes City staff will be responsible for assistance with logistical support and preparation of a staff report. This task assumes the project team will attend the workshops in person. If the City would prefer virtual
CITY OF FONTANA THE GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE, PL-26-175-SP APPENDIX – SCOPE OF SERVICES

attendance, we can facilitate these workshops online instead and adjust the work plan accordingly.

Task Deliverables:
✓ Two PowerPoint presentations (preliminary draft for City review and final draft for each)
✓ Two in person joint City Council and Planning Commission study sessions
✓ Summary of input for inclusion in the Housing Element Task 4.5 Stakeholder Focus Groups
Engagement of and input from local advocacy groups and
minority/special needs populations are important to the Housing Element update and will be expected by HCD. We
recommend engaging them early in the update process to
receive feedback. The project team will work with the City to conduct up to three stakeholder focus groups to discuss the Housing Element update and receive feedback on current and proposed programs. We will work closely with City staff to identify stakeholders that represent a broad cross-section of the City of Fontana so that the discussions include market-rate developers, affordable housing developers and fair housing advocates, and community-based organizations. We find that targeted stakeholder interviews provide necessary local knowledge, especially for the fair housing analysis, and provide more direct contact with key stakeholders on their schedule beyond the general workshops.

Task Deliverables:
✓ Facilitation of up to three stakeholder focus groups
✓ Summary of stakeholder input for inclusion in the Housing Element
Task 5 – Public Hearing Materials
Task 5.1 Planning Commission and City Council Adoption
Materials
This scope assumes Michael Baker will prepare the necessary public hearing notices, staff reports, resolutions, and ordinance for the Planning Commission and City Council
adoption hearings. These materials will include a preliminary draft for review by City staff, and a final draft for distribution.

Michael Baker will work with City staff to provide supporting data and information.

Task Deliverables:
✓ 1 staff report for Planning Commission adoption hearing (preliminary and final drafts)
✓ 1 resolution for Planning Commission recommendation
(preliminary and final drafts)
✓ 1 public hearing notice for the Planning Commission
adoption hearing (preliminary and final drafts)
✓ 1 staff report for City Council adoption hearing
(preliminary and final drafts)
✓ 1 City Council resolution for adoption (preliminary and final drafts)
✓ 1 City Council ordinance (preliminary and final drafts) ✓ 1 public hearing notice for the City Council adoption hearing (preliminary and final drafts)
Task 6 – Public Hearing Support
Task 6.1 Public Hearing Attendance and Support
The Michael Baker team will prepare for and remotely attend one Planning Commission hearing and one City Council hearing for the adoption of the Housing Element update. Up to two members of the Michael Baker team will be available to attend each hearing and respond to comments and questions. This scope also includes preparation of the staff report package as noted in Task 5.1. City staff will be responsible for room reservations and distributing required public notices after Michael Baker preparation. We will collaborate with City staff to prepare and deliver presentations for each public hearing. It is assumed that Michael Baker will attend all hearings in person. If desired, virtual attendance can be provided for some efficiency in time and cost.

Task Deliverables:
✓ Virtual attendance and support at one Planning
Commission hearing and one City Council hearing (Word,
PDF)
✓ Planning Commission PowerPoint Presentation
✓ City Council PowerPoint Presentation
Task 7 – California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
We understand the City certified its General Plan EIR on November 13, 2018, and has previously prepared an
Addendum to the General Plan EIR for the 6th Cycle Housing Element Update in January 2022. Michael Baker understands that no rezoning or land use map amendment would occur as part of this project. Thus, an Addendum to the General Plan EIR would be prepared to demonstrate that the 7th Cycle Housing Element would not result in any physical change to the environment and would not result in any new environmental impacts or increase the severity of any environmental impacts previously evaluated in the General Plan EIR.

This scope of work assumes that any future consistency
rezoning or land use map amendments necessary to meet the City’s RHNA obligations would be evaluated under a separate CEQA clearance document.

Task 7.1 CEQA Project Description
Michael Baker will obtain and review available referenced data for the project, including the 2022 Addendum to the General Plan EIR for the 6th Cycle Housing Element Update, planning and policy documentation from the City, as well as other local, state, and federal agencies that may be affected by the project.

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This information will become part of the environmental
documentation’s foundation and will be reviewed and
incorporated into the analysis, as appropriate. Upon
completion of Michael Baker’s research and investigation, a draft project description will be prepared for review and comment by City Staff. After receiving comments and making the appropriate changes, we will submit a revised version of the project description, which will be the basis for the project’s environmental analysis.

Task Deliverables:
✓ Draft Project Description in Microsoft Word Format
✓ Final Project Description in Microsoft Word and PDF
Format
Task 7.2 Administrative Draft Addendum
Per CEQA Guidelines Section 15162, when an EIR has been adopted or certified for a project, no subsequent EIR shall be prepared for that project unless the lead agency determines, on the basis of substantial evidence in the light of the whole record, one or more of the following:

1. Substantial changes are proposed in the project
which will require major revisions of the previous
EIR … due to the involvement of new significant
environmental effects or a substantial increase in
the severity of previously identified significant
effects

2. Substantial changes occur with respect to the
circumstances under which the project is
undertaken which will require major revisions of
the previous EIR … due to the involvement of
new significant environmental effects or a
substantial increase in the severity of previously
identified significant effects; or

3. New information of substantial importance,
which was not known and could not have been
known with the exercise of reasonable diligence
at the time the previous EIR was certified as
complete … shows any of the following:
a. The project will have one or more
significant effects not discussed in the
previous EIR;
b. Significant effects previously examined
will be substantially more severe than
shown in the previous EIR;
c. Mitigation measures or alternatives
previously found not to be feasible
would in fact be feasible, and would
substantially reduce one or more
significant effects of the project, but the
project proponents decline to adopt the
mitigation measure or alternative; or
d. Mitigation measures or alternatives
which are considerably different from
those analyzed in the previous EIR
would substantially reduce one or more
significant effects on the environment,
but the project proponents decline to
adopt the mitigation measure or
alternative.

So long as none of the above criteria are triggered, Michael Baker will prepare the Administrative Draft Addendum in accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15164 to determine if any of the above criteria are met. If such criteria are not met, the Addendum, along with the certified General Plan EIR, will constitute the CEQA document for the project. If any of the above criteria are met and a supplemental EIR or other
environmental compliance document is required, Michael
Baker will work with the City to develop the appropriate scope of work for such documentation. The Administrative Draft Addendum document will generally be comprised of the
following sections:
• Overview. This section will provide an overview of
the environmental review and approval required for
the proposed project.
• Purpose of the Addendum. This section will discuss
CEQA compliance and background and history. This
section will summarize impacts and mitigation
measures that were previously identified, as well as
the criteria that must be met in order to qualify as an Addendum to the General Plan EIR.
• Project Description. This section will detail the
project location and project description and key
differences between the project as evaluated under
the General Plan EIR and under present conditions.
• Environmental Analysis. This section will provide an
analysis of the potential environmental
consequences anticipated to occur as a result of the
proposed project in comparison to those identified in
the General Plan EIR generally following the CEQA
Guidelines Appendix G Environmental Checklist. The
Environmental Analysis will provide written
responses to each question on the Environmental
Checklist that: 1) summarize the conclusions of the
General Plan EIR; 2) identify any previous mitigation
measures that are applicable to the revised project;
and 3) provide findings related to the criteria in CEQA Guidelines Section 15164 to determine when the
proposed project would qualify for an Addendum.

Task Deliverables:
✓ Electronic copy of the Administrative Draft Addendum and Appendices (Microsoft Word and PDF)
CITY OF FONTANA THE GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE, PL-26-175-SP APPENDIX – SCOPE OF SERVICES

Task 7.3 Screencheck Draft Addendum
Michael Baker will respond to one consolidated set of City comments on the Administrative Draft Addendum and will
provide a Screencheck Draft Addendum in Microsoft Word and PDF format. This task assumes that no substantive changes to the Project Description will be raised.

Task Deliverables:
✓ Electronic copy of the Screencheck Draft Addendum and Appendices (Microsoft Word and PDF)
Task 7.4 Final Addendum and NOD
Michael Baker will respond to a review of the Screencheck Draft Addendum by City staff and will prepare the Final Addendum in electronic format (Microsoft Word and PDF).

Michael Baker will also assist the City in preparing a draft Notice of Determination (NOD) should the City Council decide to approve the project. This scope of work assumes the City will file the NOD with the County Clerk (including payment of any associated filing fees) and Michael Baker will upload the County Clerk-filed NOD to CEQANet.

Task Deliverables:
✓ Electronic copy of the Final Addendum and Appendices
(Microsoft Word and PDF)
✓ Electronic copy of the NOD (PDF)
Task 8 – Tribal Consultation and SB 18 and AB 52 Support Task 8.1: Tribal Consultation Assistance
Michael Baker will assist the City with any required tribal consultation per the requirements of SB 18 and AB 52,
including the preparation of a letter for placement onto City letterhead to the Native American Heritage Commission
(NAHC) for a tribal contact list, and letters to each of the tribes inquiring whether they desire consultation. This scope
assumes the City will perform all required mailings.

Task Deliverable:
✓ Draft letter to NAHC
✓ Draft letter to identified tribes
✓ Written results of consultations
Task 9 – Housing Element Preparation
Task 9.1 Administrative Draft Chapters
Michael Baker will prepare an administrative draft of the Housing Element update. Individual draft chapters are
proposed to be submitted as they are completed to facilitate and expedite City staff review.

Task 9.1.1 Housing Needs Analysis (VTA)
VTA will draft the needs analysis pursuant to Government Code Section 65583 with data from the US Census data, American Community Survey, and other relevant sources. VTA will
coordinate with City staff to evaluate housing conditions using State-approved criteria. The housing needs assessment will contain the following topics to satisfy Government Code Section 65583(a) requirements:
• Demographics, income, and employment trends
• Household characteristics
• Housing stock characteristics
• At-risk housing analysis; analysis of special housing needs
Task 9.1.2 Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Michael Baker will prepare and incorporate a chapter for the AFFH analysis. The new chapter will be prepared pursuant to HCD’s guidelines and requirements as well as based on Michael Baker’s understanding and experience in drafting 6th Cycle AFFH chapters. The federal AFFH rule requires a jurisdiction to take “deliberate action to explicitly address, combat, and relieve disparities resulting from past and current patterns of segregation to foster more inclusive communities.” AB 686 extended this AFFH requirement to cities and counties in California. Cities must incorporate fair housing issues, analysis, goals, and actions when updating their Housing Elements. As such, we will prepare an analysis of fair housing issues, identify contributing factors, develop goals and actions, and review prior goals and actions. Fair housing issues to be assessed include review of fair housing enforcement and capacity, segregation and integration, racially/ethnically concentrated areas of poverty, access to opportunity, and disproportionate housing needs and displacement risk. Analysis will consider local and regional patterns and trends, and local data and knowledge gathered from effective community engagement.

Michael Baker has worked closely with HCD to fulfill the new and extensive AFFH guidance and HCD requirements. The goal setting process requires extensive input from City staff and stakeholders/community to provide local knowledge and
explanations of the contributing factors for various fair housing issues and require a commitment to development of new goals or programs to directly address and resolve fair housing issues.

The programs will require clear, measurable, and enforceable outcomes, geographic specificity, and timelines.

Please note that certification of the Housing Element will depend on HCD’s determination as to whether the programs will achieve significant and meaningful results. Michael Baker will prepare draft goals for review by the City and
community/stakeholders; however, City staff and
community/stakeholders will need to commit to and provide input on the specific resources, outcomes, and timelines for achieving these goals. With the community engagement
process suggested above, Michael Baker will assist the City and its community/stakeholders to be informed, prepared, and CITY OF FONTANA THE GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE, PL-26-175-SP APPENDIX – SCOPE OF SERVICES

ultimately successful in taking meaningful action to further fair housing in its community.

Task 9.1.3 Sites Inventory and Analysis of Resources
Using the 6th Cycle sites inventory as a starting point and work with the City to determine which sites are still viable RHNA sites based on new state law requirements. With the recent court case against the City of Redondo Beach, there are restrictions to including sites in overlay zones towards meeting lower income RHNA requirements. We will evaluate the sites identified in the R4 overlay for continued effectiveness. We will identify new sites and reevaluate sites identified from the 6th Cycle Housing Element Inventory. As part of the site selection process, we will consider the General Plan policies and land use density range, zoning, available infrastructure, and
opportunities within approved specific plans. We will
formulate General Plan and zoning strategies that will address additional housing unit capacity. This task also assumes a high level of collaboration with City staff to identify and evaluate individual sites and essential development criteria and likelihood based on local knowledge, such as ownership status and interest, tenant status, stability and turnover, and particular opportunities and constraints.

We will prepare an inventory, map, and analysis illustrating the City’s capacity to accommodate the 7th Cycle RHNA. In keeping with state law, we will document the realistic development capacity of each site (or typology) based on local development trends and/or proposed programs and prepare a map showing all identified sites. We recommend safe and defensible
assumptions to facilitate HCD approval and to avoid and minimize the no-net-loss risks.

We will prepare an evaluation of the sites to determine how they affirmatively further fair housing and work with City staff to determine if the sites identified in the inventory are located throughout the community in a manner that has the ability to affirmatively further fair housing.

We will complete an analysis of non-vacant sites to address a portion of the RHNA. As part of this task, we will analyze the realistic development potential within the planning period by considering the extent that a non-vacant site’s existing use impedes additional residential development, the jurisdiction’s past experience converting existing uses to higher-density residential development, and market trends and conditions.

We will analyze the local housing trends to establish site potential estimates. Anticipated and actual project densities will be used to project and substantiate assumed future development yields of proposed RHNA sites. This task assumes that City staff will provide data to allow a comparison of the maximum zoning density to the actual project yield, including percentage and types of affordable units from development projects built, approved, or under review during the 6th Cycle period.

With supporting GIS data provided by the City, we will work to determine if parcels included in the sites inventory have sufficient access to water, sewer, and dry utilities and adequate capacity to support housing development. This task assumes that City staff will review existing General Plan programs or other mandatory programs or plans to secure sufficient water, sewer, and dry utilities supply and identify any potential limitations or constraints and improvements necessary to support housing development on the site. This task does not include technical studies or evaluation.

If rezoning is necessary to meet the RHNA obligations, we will work with City staff to identify potential areas for rezoning to maintain an adequate housing sites inventory throughout the eight-year planning period.

Task 9.1.4 Electronic Sites Inventory Form
Pursuant to Senate Bill 6, Michael Baker will prepare and submit an electronic copy of the final sites inventory using HCD-approved Excel spreadsheets upon adoption of the
Housing Element.

Task 9.1.5 Analysis of Constraints on Housing
We will identify potential governmental and nongovernmental constraints to housing production, including environmental and infrastructural constraints. This analysis must contain a review of factors that may potentially constrain the
development, improvement, and preservation of housing in Fontana. Factors to be reviewed include market,
governmental, environmental, and infrastructural constraints.

New housing laws require the assessment of nongovernmental constraints, including NIMBYism, lending practices, shortage of labor, and other economic factors. We will also review City processes for streamlining and compliance with new state laws, such as SB 684 and SB 1123.

Task 9.1.6 Housing Goals, Policies, and Programs
Based upon the analyses and research conducted in the
previous tasks, we will update the goals, policies, and quantified objectives section of the Housing Element (the Housing Plan). For each program included in the Housing Plan, we will work collaboratively with the City to establish the time frame for implementation, specific objectives, funding sources, and responsible agencies. The programs will satisfy the requirements of Government Code Sections 65583(b) and (c).

Programs will describe specific steps for implementation and will identify a time frame and responsible department.

Timelines will be carefully reviewed to ensure that they are achievable. Programs will address:
• All new state requirements since adoption of the
2021-2029 Housing Element.
• Consistency and compliance with the rest of the
General Plan elements and community goals.

CITY OF FONTANA THE GENERAL PLAN HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE, PL-26-175-SP APPENDIX – SCOPE OF SERVICES

• Provision of adequate housing sites and infrastructure to meet the fair share of the regional housing need.
• Assistance in the development of affordable housing.
• Promotion of the development of accessory dwelling
units.
• Preservation and improvement of existing affordable
housing.
• Mitigation of any governmental constraints to
providing and improving housing.
• Special housing needs for the elderly, persons with
disabilities, extremely low-income residents, persons
experiencing homelessness, and other special needs.
• Affirmatively furthering fair housing.

Task 9.1.7 Review of Past Accomplishments
Based on the review of the 6th Cycle Housing Element
completed in Task 3.1, Michael Baker will utilize the resulting matrix evaluating the effectiveness of the 6th Cycle Housing Element to draft the Review of Past Accomplishments chapter of the Housing Element. The matrix includes the review of housing program accomplishments including status,
evaluation of implementation and effectiveness, and whether the prior housing programs will be retained, modified, deleted, or amended with new programs will be included in the
Chapter.

This chapter will also evaluate the effectiveness at serving special needs populations through existing programming in the City and County.

Task Deliverable:
✓ Administrative drafts of the Needs Analysis, AFFH, Sites Analysis, Constraints Analysis, Programs, and Review of Past Accomplishments Chapters
✓ Electronic Sites Inventory
✓ Matrix of selected opportunity sites and analysis
✓ Map of selected RHNA sites
Task 9.2 Screencheck and Public Review Drafts
Upon receipt of a comprehensive set of staff review comments and requested changes on the administrative draft chapters, Michael Baker will prepare a complete screencheck review draft Housing Element for staff review and comment.

Following staff review of the screencheck draft, Michael Baker will prepare a public review draft for publication. The public review draft will be published and circulated for public review and comment for at least 30 days, followed by a 14-day review and response period prior to submittal to HCD for their initial 90-day compliance review.

Task Deliverable:
✓ Screencheck draft of Housing Element (Word and PDF)
✓ Public review draft of Housing Element (Word and PDF) Task 9.3 HCD Review Draft
Following public review, Michael Baker will compile and respond to all public comments during the required 14-day period, as necessary. The Housing Element will be updated and submitted to HCD for its initial 90-day compliance review.

Michael Baker will work closely with HCD and City staff; coordinate conference calls; and address public review
comments, preliminary HCD review comments on the draft
Housing Element during the 90-day review period (if provided), and the HCD review letter.

We will leverage our working relationship with HCD to request an informal mid-cycle review if possible, to expedite the approval of the Housing Element. A response to comments matrix will be prepared in response to any received HCD informal reviews documenting all changes made to address the comment letter. A revised draft with tracked changes and highlights will be provided. All subsequent public review drafts will be posted for a seven-day public review period.

The goal is to achieve a Finding of Substantial Compliance for the draft Housing Element before proceeding to adoption and, if possible, in one review cycle. In this manner, the City Council can adopt the Housing Element with the revisions identified by HCD to obtain certification.

Task Deliverable:
✓ Initial HCD review draft including revisions in response to public comment
✓ 1 revised draft in response to mid-review HCD comments, including a response to comments matrix
Task 9.4 Final Housing Element
We have proposed a time and materials budget for preparation of the final draft Housing Element. This budget includes preparation of second and third (if required) public and HCD review drafts to address a second and third (if required) round of public review comments and the HCD compliance review letter. This will also include preparation of the final clean draft Housing Element for the Planning Commission and City Council adoption hearings.

Michael Baker will respond to HCD comments and incorporate informal technical comments and revisions from HCD. A
response to comments matrix will be prepared in response to any received HCD letters documenting all changes made to address the comment letter. A revised draft with tracked changes and highlights will be provided. All subsequent public review drafts will be posted for a seven-day public review period followed by a 60-day review by HCD. This task assumes the HCD letter will be of typical length and estimates a total of 224 staff hours. If additional hours are needed, we will seek City authorization.

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Task Deliverable:
✓ Revised redlined Housing Element versions and Response to HCD Comment Matrices
✓ Final Housing Element for adoption (Word and PDF)
Task 10 – Liaison for HCD Certification
Task 10.1 HCD Coordination and Meetings
Michael Baker and VTA will act as liaisons to HCD for state certification, using our existing relationships with HCD and deep understanding and experience in working through the review process. We will encourage HCD to provide technical support and comment during each review period in order to expedite certification.

We will schedule, support, and attend meetings with HCD and incorporate any requests or comments as applicable.

Task Deliverable:
✓ Submittal of Housing Element drafts to HCD pursuant to Tasks 9.3 and 9.4
✓ Coordination of communication with HCD
✓ Revised redlined Housing Element versions and Response to HCD Comment Matrices pursuant to Task 9.4
✓ Agendas and notes for any meetings with HCD
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